The present invention relates to a medium transporting apparatus and an image forming apparatus that employs the medium transporting apparatus.
A conventional image forming apparatus includes an image forming section and a fixing section. The image forming section forms a toner image on a photoconductive drum in accordance with image data. The toner image is transferred onto a recording medium. The recording medium is then transported to the fixing section where the toner image is fused by heat and pressure. The recording medium is then discharged by a discharge roller pair onto a stacker.
The image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding apparatus that separates the uppermost sheet from the stack of sheets. The sheet feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a separator pad, and an urging member that urges the separator pad against the feed roller. A guide member is disposed downstream of the feed roller. The guide member includes a base and a plurality of ribs formed on the base. The ribs have the same shape. A transport roller pair is disposed downstream of the guide member.
The conventional image forming apparatus includes a paper tray that may be attached into and detached from the apparatus for replacing or replenishing the recording medium. There may be a gap between the paper tray and the body of the image forming apparatus. When a sheet of the recording medium is fed from the paper tray, the sheet may be trapped in the gap or caught by a joint portion of the body.